Ladies jockey for position in style stakes at St Leger

From left: Charlotte Smith, Jessica Flint, Harriet Flint, Abbie Asquith, Holly Munday, and Ayantu Biana.

While the action on the racecourse captured the attention of many, heads were also turned by a succession of colourful dresses and fascinators.

And the biggest prize of all was reserved for the winner of the DFS Best Dressed Lady competition – Liz Ackroyd, from Hull, who took the prize with a black and white ensemble.

Mrs Ackroyd, the owner of Fashion Pour La Femme, is no stranger to winning this sort of competition, having won the title of Best Dressed Lady Racegoer in Yorkshire in 2010.

She will now go on to represent Doncaster Racecourse in this year’s final, which is being held in Doncaster on October 26.

It would seem that fashion runs in the family as Mrs Ackroyd’s daughter Hollie Dixon won the equivalent title at Beverley on the East Yorkshire course’s Ladies’ Day in August, which means that mother will take on daughter in the final. As part of her prize for winning the competition, Mrs Ackroyd will be whisked away to New York, courtesy of DFS, as well as winning a full-day beauty package which has been provided by Beauty at Doncaster.

She has also won an overnight stay for two at The Crown Hotel in Bawtry.

“I hope New York is ready for me and I hope my credit card is ready as well, as I’ll be hitting the shops”, she said.

Abbey Bouchen, from Doncaster, finished second and wins two tickets to London Fashion Week, as does Kirsty Booth, from Doncaster, who took third position.

Doncaster Racecourse managing director Mark Spincer said: “Ladies Day is a fantastic social occasion, and the ladies in this part of the world never fail to impress with some stunning outfits and fashion statements.”

Racing continues tomorrow and Saturday at Doncaster, with the St Leger Stakes itself – the world’s oldest classic horse race – being run on Saturday at 3.50pm.